Well I just completed my first month as guardian of this thread and I am grateful to the loyal members that have stayed. I am also glad that we had mostly great shaves. I applaud all of you. I started a new thread to let every TSD member about this thread and why it is different than the thread where you just download your shave. Hopefully, this will bring in new members to this thread and that if they like what they see and read that they would want to stay.
It is November and it usually means no shaves, but we ignore it because we like to shave
I want to welcome all the veterans of the 30 DC and all the newcomers. This thread is for the purposes of improving your shave technique so that you will consistently get great shaves. There are a number of ways to do it. These are suggestions so feel free to do whatever you want in regards to your shave:

The 30 Day Rule
Take ONE razor, ONE blade, ONE brush, ONE soap/cream and use them EVERYDAY this month. Yes, everyday. But Trigger, I want variety! I know you do, but until you perfect your technique, it makes little sense to constantly change the variables of your shave.

For you out there that are not up to the rigors of the Rule, there is this alternative:

The Focus
Vary the gear for each shave, save for perhaps one or two elements.
This is a more accessible challenge for the majority of shavers. I like to pick a particular aspect of the shave, be it the lather, a certain blade or a new razor, that needs breaking in, and not change it daily, until I have mastered those tools.

Ok, to keep the thread on a nice even keel, I ask everyone to follow the thread etiquette as listed below:


1. New Members always welcome. Start anytime.
2. Old Members always welcome.
3. Respect everyone.
4. Refrain from political conversation.**
** This includes, but is not limited to: Covid-19, treatments and/or advice.
Please keep these discussions off of this thread.


I also want to suggest that we should try to assess our shaves as to why it was good or why it was not up to your standards and express these reasons in your comments. The spirit of this thread is to improve our shaves and if we share the reasons why a shave was good or bad, then we are giving our experiences to encourage good technique and discourage bad technique so that we have great info to ger better shaves. I am not suggesting that we do it for every comment, but I think it would make for a healthier thread if we start to do it more than we have in the past years.

Moreover, you don't have to do a rule or a focus. You are free to change your setup on a shave to shave basis.

Finally, I want this thread to continue to be a friendly place. It is ok to disagree because that is how we learn from each other, but let's encourage and respect everymember. Yes, even if you think they are off the wall. Let's face it! We all are a little off because of ourdifferent Aquisition Disorders. Lol!
Let's have a group hug!



One last thing, I am temporarily discontinuing the monthly survey for each month.
Let's have great November shaves!

In your service,
Trigger

I will be starting November with a 2 week focus using my VanderHagen Razor. It is my least favorite razor and have never used it for consecutive shaves. It will be interesting.

November is my 1 year anniversary for entering the world of traditional shaving. I will return to my original set up for the first week:

Razor: Merkur 34C
Soap: Proraso white
Brush: Omega 49 boar

I hope to get back to basics and learn to master the classic 34C.

Welcome aboard and Happy 1st Anniversary! You will find that we are a small group of experienced shavers. I am primarily a straight/shavette shaver, but I use DE and SE razors as well. You will find that most of the other members are strictly safety razor shavers. Also, if you have the capability, then please download pics of your shaving setup. If you use the same setup daily, then you can recycle the same photo. If you don't have the capability to download the pic, then I am fine with it. I want you to be comfortable with engaging in our thread. Please, if you have any questions on shaving, soap, blades and razors just ask. We go by first names here. I am Joe. What is your name?

This part of your first post needs to be adjusted for November?

As I just began my adventure with safety razor shaving, I'm going to use this set up for my shaves this month:

Pre:

Hot Towel headwrap​

Razor:

https://www.westcoastshaving.com/co...ducts/wcs-multi-titanium-collection-razor-84m​

Soap:

Barbasol Classic ​

Blade:

Van Der Hagen Ice Tempered Stainless Steel ​

Post:

West Coast Shaving Alum Bar
Every Man Jack face lotion​

At least untill I run out of the Van Der Haggen blades. Then I'm going to go through a rotation from the sample set I'm looking forward to arriving from tryablade.com

Thanks Jody for catching it. I corrected the opening comment. Sometimes, I slip up.

Welcome to the 30 DC, Avalon! You will find that we have shavers that strictly use safeties and others that use straights/shavettes so there is a lot of shaving knowledge for you to tap into for you to improve your shaves. Please free to ask shaving questions that you may have. We are all here to help you be a better shaver. Btw, we usually go by first names to make it more friendlier. I am Joe. What is your name?

As it happens, my given first name is in fact Avalon It's nice to meet you Joe! As of right now, the only question I've been asking to myself is whether the struggles I've had in the past couple of shaves have been due to me just needing more practice (which I certainly do), or whether these blades aren't as sharp as they really aught to be. I think that may just be my distrust of the fact that they're the brand that's being sold at my local supermarket, which is making me doubt their quality.

I sincerely apologize. I have never encountered someone named Avalon. I have used the VanderHagen blades because it came with the Van der Hagan razor that I will be using as a mini focus during the first 2 weeks of this month. The Van der Hagen blades worked for me, but there are better blades out there. That's why it is important to try sample packs to find what blade works best for you. Everyone has a different skin and beard type so that the brand choice of blade is important. I like medium to ultra aggressive blades.

During summer 2020, when one of my sons was getting ready to go to college, he announced he wanted to try traditional shaving. Knowing nothing myself, I got him from local big box store the Van Der Hagen TTO, a puck of Williams Mug, a cheap brush, and wished him well. The idea of traditional shaving appealed to me, so I spent fall semester 2020 researching traditional shaving, and in November, chose for myself the Merkur 34C, Proraso white, an Omega 49 boar brush, and a sample pack of blades.

In my research, I read terrible things about the VDH blades as well as Merkur blades that came with my 34C. Susceptible to group-think, I drew the conclusion that VDH and Merkur blades are trash and put them there without even trying them. All that to say, Avalon, maybe it's the VDH blades, maybe it's not. Once an opinion is formed, even without justification, it is hard to change. Even if they could empirically be proven to be the best blades in the world, I would probably find the shave unpleasant if I actually tried them.

The good news is there is a tremendous variety of blades to choose from. Excellent choice going for the blade sampler!

I came to this shaving thing after decades of canned Barbasol and even cheaper generic foams. Besides the blade, you might consider tying a different shave soap/cream. You don't necessarily need to shop exotic artisan stuff, or go the brush lathering route (although to me that is part of the charm of traditional shaving). Shopping locally, Cremo provides a wild amount of slickness, which will make a difference in your shaving experience. The only downside is it is not lathering and is clear on application to skin, so it is hard to tell where shaved by eye. I have not tried Gillette Pure, but it is well-regarded as an upgrade from canned foam. Apparently, the problem with canned foam is the propellants have a drying affect on the skin.

Finally, I love the prismatic look of your razor choice!

I didn't mind the VDH blades. My only complaint was that I didn't get that many shaves on a blade.
I started using my first shavette in Oct 2018. It was a Dovo and it came with the Merkur DE blades. I didn't have a problem with them in the Dovo shavette. I got great shaves from those blades, but there are so many different blades that are sharper and smoother. It definitely a ymmv thing.

Welcome to the 30DC. My name is Joe.

Welcome to the 30DC. My name is Joe.

SE Shave # 225
MICROMATIC & DARKFALL MONDAY

Rating: 5 / 5

Razor: GEM Micromatic Bullet Tip
Blade: GEM Stainless
Brush: Whipped Dog Butterscotch 24 mm
Lather: Declaration Grooming Darkfall
Aftershave: Declaration Grooming Darkfall
Additional Care:
Nivea Cool Balm
Stirling Alum Block
Thayer’s Witch Hazel - Original
Declaration Grooming Darkfall EdT
I have had a few days to mull over the aspects of my November focus. Over the past several months I have engaged in the 1508.5 Project as a method to reduce the large amount of soap in my den. For those newbies who may not be familiar with the Project, I use the same soap every other day until it is binned or as I like to say “Edmund Fitzgerald”. My goal this year has been to Edmund Fitzgerald five soaps. Currently, I am working through my fifth tub of soap.

For the month of November I am going to suspended the 1508.5 Project. In its place my shave week will be as follows:
Monday: Micromatic & Darkfall Monday.
I have an MMOC and a MMBT.
Tuesday - Friday: A focus on using the same soap until it is finished. For the beginning of November it will be the current 1508.5 Project participant, Razorock XXX. The razors in this focus will be used twice in a row before changing to another.
Saturday - Sunday: Freedom of choice shave.

This morning’s shave was perfect for this crisp Fall day here on LI. The Whipped Dog Boar easily produced a thick lather which provided an excellent cushion for the MMBT to glide through today’s stubble. I truly enjoy Declaration Grooming’s soaps. Darkfall will always have a place in my den.

Yes, gentlemen, three passes of comfortable shaving with no one to bother me. Perfect time for myself in my own little sanctuary.
Hope you all have a great day gentlemen.

Sounds like a good plan Joe.

Thank you Joe for your support. I really appreciate it.

Excellent shave and a great plan for the month, Joe!

I love it! Now I have the song going through my head.

welcome aboard Avalon..great set up..